Features 86 artists

ATLANTA — On Jan. 25 and 26, the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center will be holding its inaugural Callanwolde Arts Festival.

The festival will feature 86 artists selling their work in various mediums, from metalworking to jewelry to traditional two-dimensional paintings and mixed media.

“We’ll cover all genres of art,” said Randall Fox, co-founder of the Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces, who helped organize the festival. “The goal was to make the community aware of the arts center itself.”

It’s also to help expose the community to the arts.

“This is the first time [the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center] has had a full-blown festival,” said Fox.

The festival will take place over the course of the weekend, with a $5 ticket price for the event. Additionally, there will be a VIP reception on Jan. 25 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., which will have food provided by Genki Sushi and Noodles, as well as access to the festival and a tour of the mansion.

Fox went on to say that the festival will be a great opportunity for people to tour the mansion in addition to enjoying the art.

“The event is a fundraiser for Callanwolde, and also a way to invite the community to Callanwolde,” said Peggy Johnson, executive director of the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. “Our mission is to preserve the estate and offer classes in the fine arts and performance to the community.”

The Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, located at 980 Briarcliff Road NE in Atlanta, is a 27,000-square-foot historic mansion, formerly owned by Charles Howard Candler, the eldest son of Asa Candler, founder of Coca-Cola. The mansion is now an arts center, hosting classes for dance, art and music and now home to the fine arts festival.